In March Raylee made a wish at The Wishing Place. Her wish was to meet Jessie from Toy Story at Disney World. Well today we met Raylee's wish granters, Natasha and Matt, at Planet Play and they told Raylee her wish was granted. They gave her a giant certificate stating, "We hereby announce that Raylee's wish to Disney World will be granted by Make-A-Wish." They also gave her a Rapunzel princess dress and princess dress up shoes to wear to Disney World. Planet Play gave us a day to be their VIPs and play archade games and the other attractions there. We spent 4 hours playing game after game! It was a lot of fun, especially to see the girls just enjoy themselves. Jorja was super excited, she won a giant stuffed animal Madagascar penguin from the giant claw machine at her first try of playing the game! We are excited to go to Disney World and spend time in Florida. The generosity of Make-A-Wish, Planet Play, and the place we are going to stay in Florida called, Give Kids the World, is overwhelming, it is hard to comprehend, and hard to accept. I am very grateful for these things; it has opened my eyes even wider about how people can make a positive difference in another person's life, how I can be a better contributor and supportor of uplifting organizations and promote them, how I can be a volunteer and strive to make a difference in someone else's recovery and healing. It really seems as if this trip to Disney World will be the much needed peak in our healing as a family.
This link is a video showing the story behind Give Kids the World: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo1haStdWuQ Give Kids the World Village is a 70-acre, nonprofit "storybook" resort, located near Central Florida's most beloved attractions, where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families are treated to a weeklong, cost-free fantasy vacations."
Introducing Raylee and Jorja.....sisters! Raylee is our cancer baby and Jorja is her sister's keeper.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good Friday-HopeMinute
I absolutely love this HopeMinute I received in email. It helped remind me how much Jesus Christ did for all mankind. A great reminder to have the Friday before Easter weekend.
"Today's Good Friday HopeMinute is written by Michelle Cassens the Program Manager for HopeKids Minnesota.
Today is Good Friday. It’s such a friendly name for an event that certainly didn’t seem good at the time. It’s been nearly 2000 years since Jesus’ followers watched him suffer and die on the cross. God was also watching and agonizing as his son Jesus sacrificed his life.
HopeKids parents will say, ‘I can’t stand to see my child suffer anymore. The pain she faces hurts me so much—and I would do anything to take her place.” It’s a helpless feeling to see suffering and know the reality that you can’t take the burden away, nor can you swap places, no matter how much you want to. This response by HopeKids parents is something most parents can relate to. It seems like a normal reaction as a parent—but think of the profound implication. They are saying, “I choose to willfully suffer for my child, no matter the consequence.” It’s a statement of unconditional love.
God is the author of unconditional love. When he agonized over Jesus’ suffering, he also knew the power of Jesus’ sacrifice. God sent Jesus to the earth because of his unconditional love for us, his children. And this act of redemption had nothing to do with how deserving we are; same as a HopeKids parent would willfully swap places, even if the child happened to act naughty that day. It’s the perfect vision of love and grace, where everything is given, and nothing is expected in return.
As you head into this Easter weekend, and you’re thinking of Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s unconditional love, think also of how you understand what it would look like to give everything because of love. Imagine you could swap places with your suffering child, but he or she refused your gift. We all have done that very thing to God. Today, let him take your suffering and burden, and be his child forever.
-Michelle Cassens, HopeKids Minnesota"
"Today's Good Friday HopeMinute is written by Michelle Cassens the Program Manager for HopeKids Minnesota.
Today is Good Friday. It’s such a friendly name for an event that certainly didn’t seem good at the time. It’s been nearly 2000 years since Jesus’ followers watched him suffer and die on the cross. God was also watching and agonizing as his son Jesus sacrificed his life.
HopeKids parents will say, ‘I can’t stand to see my child suffer anymore. The pain she faces hurts me so much—and I would do anything to take her place.” It’s a helpless feeling to see suffering and know the reality that you can’t take the burden away, nor can you swap places, no matter how much you want to. This response by HopeKids parents is something most parents can relate to. It seems like a normal reaction as a parent—but think of the profound implication. They are saying, “I choose to willfully suffer for my child, no matter the consequence.” It’s a statement of unconditional love.
God is the author of unconditional love. When he agonized over Jesus’ suffering, he also knew the power of Jesus’ sacrifice. God sent Jesus to the earth because of his unconditional love for us, his children. And this act of redemption had nothing to do with how deserving we are; same as a HopeKids parent would willfully swap places, even if the child happened to act naughty that day. It’s the perfect vision of love and grace, where everything is given, and nothing is expected in return.
As you head into this Easter weekend, and you’re thinking of Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s unconditional love, think also of how you understand what it would look like to give everything because of love. Imagine you could swap places with your suffering child, but he or she refused your gift. We all have done that very thing to God. Today, let him take your suffering and burden, and be his child forever.
-Michelle Cassens, HopeKids Minnesota"
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